The world's unluckiest football club: Liverpool, a history of tragedy

Sydney Morning Herald

a day ago

In the mid-1980s, Liverpool, once a major port city, was struggling with mass unemployment following the decline of its maritime industry. There wasn't much to smile about for the people of Merseyside, so when their team made the European Cup final in 1985, large parts of the city got behind them.
Liverpool were to play Juventus at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, but an hour before kick-off, focus shifted from the pitch to a tragedy unfolding in the stands. Following an altercation between Juventus and Liverpool fans, a section of the Heysel Stadium collapsed after Liverpool fans charged at Juventus supporters, killing 39 people and injuring 600 others.
Bizarrely, the match went ahead despite the collapse, with Juventus defeating Liverpool 1-0.
An 18-month investigation would eventually reveal that Liverpool fans were partly culpable for the incident, with 26 arrested, and 14 of them later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. However, it was also ruled that the stadium was in a state of disrepair and had failed inspections before the match.
In 2025, in a ceremony to mark 40 years since Heysel, Liverpool city mayor, Steve Rotheram, who was in the stadium that day, described the situation as 'an indelible stain on our city.'
The Hillsborough disaster, 1989
The most devastating event in Liverpool's history still looms large over the club. On April 15, 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, a fatal crowd crush occurred.
Things began to unravel when more than 2000 Liverpool fans managed to flood into a standing-room section behind one of the goals, despite the stadium already being at near capacity. The victims were crushed against metal anti-riot fences or trampled underfoot. Many suffocated.
Ninety-four people died that day, with 766 others injured. It was the deadliest day in British sporting history.
Three subsequent deaths would follow, bringing the final death toll for Hillsborough to 97. Compounding the grief for a devastated city was a back-and-forth blame game between victims' families and the local authorities, with police blaming the behaviour of fans for the tragedy.
In 2016, a coroner's inquest into Hillsborough ruled that the supporters were unlawfully killed owing to grossly negligent failures by police and ambulance services to fulfil their duty of care.
The Liverpool Parade incident, 2025
After securing a 20th league title, Liverpool fans had plenty to celebrate at the end of this season.
Once it became clear that Liverpool were firm favourites to win this year's Premier League, talk turned to a full-scale parade. Supporters deserved to line the streets and celebrate their team, especially considering their last title came in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic rendered real-life celebrations impossible.
On May 26, 2025, an estimated million Liverpudlians were out in full force. But in a situation that feels all too familiar, celebrations were cut short when tragedy struck.
At 6 pm, a car drove into a crowd on Water Street in Liverpool, resulting in 109 non-fatal injuries, including people being taken to the hospital. A 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm.
While no deaths were reported, the incident served as a painful reminder to Liverpool fans who have endured a history tarred with tragedy and triumph in equal measure.